Program Covenant
As a learning community, faculty and students in So You Want to be a Teacher acknowledge that community does not just "happen." It is up to us to create our own learning community and to strive to maintain community vitality. As such, we have responsibilities to ourselves, and to the group. It is important that the duties and responsibilities of faculty and students are clearly understood. Those responsibilities are described here and constitute a covenant among community members.
Expectations of Faculty
The learning community can expect faculty to:
1. Attend a faculty seminar and business meeting each week ready to participate.
2. Be prepared for lectures, workshops and other activities as scheduled by the faculty team.
3. Help facilitate book seminars each week.
4. Attend all program activities required of the entire group of students when not ill or absent for professional or religious reasons.
5. Give prompt and meaningful feedback to all student assignments.
6. Be available to students during posted office hours or by appointment.
7. Give students feedback throughout the quarter so that written evaluations are not a surprise.
8. Notify students by the end of the 5th week if their work‑to‑date does not meet the requirements for full credit.
9. Write an evaluation for each assigned student.
10. Participate in the administrative business of the program as agreed to by the faculty team.
11. Continually work to create a community that respects differences and encourages an environment where students and faculty can learn with and from each other.
12. Abide by Evergreen's social contract.
Expectations of Students
The learning community can expect students to:
1. Attend all class meetings on time and to stay for the entire class period. Any absences can lead to reduced credit. Faculty will take roll.
2. Prepare fully for all classes, seminars and program activities by completing the readings, reflecting on the readings and thoughtfully designing questions and comments about the readings. Students will put the same careful attention into their writing. All written work will be typed, double‑spaced and proofread before submission and will conform to the APA handbook.
3. Have the assigned books, read them and bring them to class. Students who do not have books with them at a workshop or discussion may be asked to leave and may, as a result, lose credit.
4. Complete all written work and assignments on time.
5. Engage fully in all classes, seminars and program activities by generating and sharing ideas and critiques as well as listening actively and encouraging others to generate and share their ideas and critiques.
6. Consult with their seminar leader whenever they need clarification about any aspect of the program, the readings or other activities.
7. Write self and faculty evaluations at the end of the quarter. Evaluations of faculty may be submitted to the program secretaries.
8. Meet with seminar leader for evaluation conference at the arranged time.
9. Continually work to create a community that respects and encourages an environment where students and faculty can learn with and from each other.
10. Submit original pieces of work. No plagiarism. Plagiarism is to pass off as one's own the words or ideas of others. Plagiarists could lose credit, be removed from the program and may be required to leave the college. Ask faculty members if you have any questions.
11. Abide by Evergreen's social contract
Academic Standards
By enrolling in the program, you agree to abide by the academic standards outlined below.
· Attendance and Preparation – Attending class and being prepared for program activities are not options; they are mandatory. Faculty will deny credit for absences and for lack of preparation.
· Late Work Policy - We expect all work to be submitted on time. Late submittals communicate to us that you are not keeping up with your work. In all but the most extenuating of circumstances, work that is submitted past its due date and time will not be read by faculty and your evaluation will state that your work was not submitted in a timely fashion. Failure to attend all program meetings or to submit all work could result in a loss of credit.
· Credit Policy - Credit is not the same thing as high quality work. Full credit may be given when students fulfill the college-level requirements and standards of the program. The evaluation is used to describe the quality of the student's work. Thus, a student could actually receive credit, but also receive evaluations that reflect poor quality work. On the flip side, a student could attend regularly but receive partial or no credit because of poor quality or missing work.
· Honesty - It is required that each assignment be an original piece of work for this program (i.e., the piece has never been submitted to or has not been the basis for an assignment in another program). Ideas or written passages that are not yours must be correctly referenced so that credit can accrue to the original sources. In general, documentation is to be in American Psychological Association format, though informal citations are acceptable for some work, at the discretion of the faculty. The APA handbook is available in the library.
Any student who plagiarizes material will lose credit, be asked to leave the program, and may be required to leave the college. Ask your faculty members if you have any questions. The Evergreen library and the Learning Resource Center also have information on plagiarism.
If any situation arises in which there is ambiguity or uncertainty about whether the work fulfills the letter or spirit of Evergreen’s Academic Standards, please bring it to our attention. Failure to adhere to these standards will result in a loss of credit.
Housekeeping
1. Conflict resolution - Although we will all strive to maintain a smooth‑running program, conflict happens and can be healthy if handled well. Resolution of disagreement between a student and a faculty member should be attempted first by the two parties involved, then with the whole faculty team. If resolution cannot be reached at this point, we will use the college's established grievance procedure. Students should strive to resolve conflict between themselves, first, but faculty members are available to act as mediators if needed.
2. Evaluations - Students will be evaluated by their seminar leader, but contributions from the other faculty member will be solicited and welcomed.
3. Credit - Credit is not the same thing as high quality work. Full credit may be given when students fulfill the college-level requirements and standards of the program. The evaluation is used to describe the QUALITY of the student's work. Thus, a student could actually receive credit, but also receive evaluations that reflect poor quality work. On the flip side, a student could attend regularly but receive partial or no credit because of poor quality or missing work.
4. Partial credit - This program awards 16‑quarter hours for the quarter. Reduction of credit requires the consensus of the entire faculty team.
5. Expulsion from the program - A student may be asked to leave the program if his or her behavior is consistently disruptive, antagonistic and impedes the program from progressing. Any student who is asked to leave and wishes to appeal may do so by arranging to meet with the entire faculty team. The team's decision will be binding, although students always have access to the college's grievance procedures.
A student's registration in this program indicates his or her willingness to abide by these duties and responsibilities.